Little One
by CassieCastle47
Summary: A one-shot set to Ed Sheeran's "Firefly": River was a paradox all of her own. She was the little girl Simon had known, the intelligent teenager he'd said goodbye to when she went off to school, and the demented, wild storm that had taken over after the Alliance had their way with his baby sister. She was all of these things, all wrapped into one swirling eloquent mess.


**A/N: I was just trying to come up with some Ed Sheeran songs to listen to, and stumbled across one called "Firefly" and of course, I had to listen to it. I just had to, there was no other option. And as soon as the first note hit, I thought of ****_Firefly_**** because it has kind of a twang to it in the beginning. And then as I listened to it, I couldn't help but think of River. The delicate melody, the chimes in the background, the innocence to the whole thing, and the fact that the person referred to in the song is called "Little One" had me reflecting on River, who is already my favorite Firefly character. So although the song is sort of about two people in love, I decided to write it just on River. (PS-Listen to Ed Sheeran's "Firefly" as you read!) Cassie**

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River skimmed her fingertips along the cool metal railing of _Serenity_'s balcony. Her bare feet were light and graceful, unaffected by the harsh surface underneath. She always seemed to dance, the often childlike mannerisms giving way to a sophisticated grace in the way she moved. She was a paradox all of her own. She was the little girl Simon had known, the intelligent teenager he'd said goodbye to when she went off to school, and the demented, wild storm that had taken over after the Alliance had their way with his baby sister. She was all of these things, all wrapped into one swirling eloquent mess. River seemed deep in thought as she took slow, deliberate steps through the ship. What was going through her head was unknowable to anyone else. She was a mystery without even trying to be.

She turned delicately, her foot extended to touch the first stair, her toes pointed as if she were about to test the cool waters of her namesake. She barely touched the railing as she slowly made her way down the steps. She carefully moved through the ship, pausing as she reached the door to glance back over her bare shoulder at the inner hollow of _Serenity. _Then, without a sound, she continued out the open door into the cool evening air of Haven. The young girl looked up at the sky, wonder and awe on her face as she caught sight of the scattered stars in the sky. The stars in her bright eyes reflected the brightness of the ancient celestial objects, a childish innocence radiating from her. She took a few more cautious steps, the thin white material of her dress swishing at her knees and tickling the bare, smooth skin. She seemed to take it all in, the warmth of the dirt below her feet, the cool breeze of the near-night air, the fabric of her dress, the stars and the trees, adorned with rustling leaves in the late summer.

Quite suddenly, her movements began to quicken. They didn't become jerky, but stayed elegant and graceful. Her arms rose out to her sides, defying gravity in their ascent to line up with her shoulders. Her wrists curved down, her fingers extending, reaching out toward the empty, open air around her. Her long, slender legs seemed to extend, her body appearing as if it were going to float as she rose elegantly onto her toes, never once stumbling. She leaned her head back for a moment, her eyelashes fluttering closed as they brushed her cheeks. The silence around her swelled, even the wind seeming to quieten in River's moment of stillness. It didn't last; she lowered her head and brought her arms around to the front, the fingertips of her left and right hands brushing briefly before they were back at her sides so quickly that the movement seemed to have never happened at all. She pulled one leg around in a slow circle, the rotation of her body following in compliance with her thoughts. Her spinning, which had started so slowly, began to speed up, increasing in its intensity and beauty the faster she went. The thin white skirt of her dress began to rise up to align with her outstretched hands, the edges of the fabric mimicking the movement of ocean waves. The spinning didn't seem to slow, but its sudden stop didn't seem to happen either. One second, she was spinning around, the next, her skirt hung back at her knees, and her body seemed elongated as she leaned forward, one long leg extended behind her, high and straight. She leaned down to reach for the ground, her fingertips skimming the small shoots of grass that were attempting to grow through the harsh dirt floor below her. And then, just as quickly as her spinning had stopped, it began again. Her long dark hair chased her acceleratingly quick movement, always a step behind in its race to keep up with her. She turned her head back as she twirled and laughed. The sound was melodic and light, a bright spot to rival the stars that were becoming continually visible in the sky above her as the light of evening faded seamlessly into inky darkness.

The trees behind her began to sparkle with the nightly visit of the tiny creatures called _guang cuowu_\- light bugs. The tiny bugs glittered in the trees below a deep blue stretch of velvet scattered with tiny pinpricks of light. The stars and the _guang cuowu _lit up the sky, but it was River's light that lit the earth. Her laughter was still ringing out through the otherwise deserted space, and the warm golden glow that spilled from the open door of _Serenity_ stretched out, reaching for it's youngest and most mysterious of inhabitants, coming to a stop just shy of her rapidly moving feet.

Had young River paused in her dancing and looked over toward the ship she had stepped out of, she would've found a group of eight standing together just inside the door, watching in companionable silence. Mal watched the little one with a hint of pride on his face and a touch of joy in his eyes. Kaylee watched her friend with a warm smile and happy sparkle in her eyes. Inara looked on with a little sliver of envy for River's innocence. Jayne watched River with a nearly-unreadable expression, laced with what one might've called love. Zoe and Wash, wrapped up together, watched the girl with undisguised contentment. Shepherd Book had a touch of sparkle in his understanding, warm eyes. Simon looked out over the ground at his baby sister with a mixture of emotions; pride and contentment to see her so happy, guilt that he hadn't gotten to her sooner, hope for her future, and unquestionable love for the tiny dancer twirling around in the cool summer night.

River just twirled, knowing they were watching her but not caring, content to revel in the moment of stillness, the moment of feeling like herself. The moment of light.


End file.
